NYCC 09: Splatterhouse Panel Report

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Mansion brutality is set to make a comeback this year.

By Greg Miller

Few games conjure up warm, fuzzy feelings like reminiscing about Splatterhouse. Hitting monsters with 2x4s, being forced into an evil mask, killing everything in sight -- these are the hallmarks of cherished childhood memories.

Namco Bandai is hoping to take those feelings out of your past and put them on your Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this year with the release of Splatterhouse, a reboot of the classic franchise. Yes, Rick Taylor and Jennifer Wills have stumbled into a creepy old mansion, the lovely young lady's been abducted, and Rick has to use a creepy mask and mess of weapons to save his girlfriend.

There hasn't been that much news since Splatterhouse was announced in May 2008, but today at the New York Comic-Con, co-producer Mark Brown took part in panel all about the game. To kick things off, the panel started with a new trailer that is still awaiting ESRB approval for mass distribution. In the minute and a half video, a hulking Rick ran along a wall dodging spike platforms that were shooting out at him, fought off hordes of zombies, had his arm ripped off, broke the neck of a minotaur-looking thing, and ran around some large pools of blood. Rick looks reminiscent of the Incredible Hulk with giant veins popping out of his neck, and he might be just as strong.

Squish.

Lots of information came out of the panel, and here it is in easy to digest tidbits…

The team just finished some animations for Biggie Man, the villain from the original game that wore a gunnysack on his head and had chainsaws for hands.

Movies that influenced the game include: Planet Terror, The Machine Girl, Tokyo Gore Police, Dead Alive, and more

Namco Bandai almost remade Splatterhouse years ago, but the project never came together.

There will be as much gore and violence as possible for a Mature rating.

Dr. West is back and doing these bad things -- like enlisting the help of other worldly monsters -- because he's trying to save his wife.

Whereas Rick was never seen without his mask in the original game, this reboot will setup a story before the mansion so that we can see Rick and Jennifer before everything in their lives goes to hell.

Zombies are going to bite out chunks of Rick's flesh and rip off his arms, but all that will grow back if Rick can beat off the baddies. If he can't beat them back, it's game over.